2020 Buick Enclave Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Good The 2020 Buick Enclave has a complaint index of 41, ranking 11th of 18 model years, and carries a Good verdict. It had 59 complaints, 6 recalls, and no fires, with Engine complaints being the top problem area at 32% share.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 41/100
- #11 of 18 Enclave years
- Verdict
- Good
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 59
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 6
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 3
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 2
- Top issue
- Engine
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 20.5
- 17.5 city / 25.5 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 2 / 0
Top 2020 Buick Enclave problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Engine19 (32%)
- Other13 (22%)
- Electrical System10 (17%)
- Transmission & Powertrain9 (15%)
- Fuel System8 (14%)
- Brakes6 (10%)
- Seat Belts3 (5%)
- Steering3 (5%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires3 (5%)
- Structure & Body2 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Vehicles have jerked or crashed unexpectedly into gear at low mileage, including one case that ended in a garage collision without airbag deployment.
- The rear liftgate locking mechanism has failed to latch, letting cargo fall out and causing a following-car collision.
- Owners report the check engine light coming on along with jerking during gear changes shortly after purchase.
- Some drivers report brakes grinding under both hard and regular braking, paired with low-speed jerking.
- A loud bang, compared to a gunshot sound, has occurred near the windshield area while driving on cruise control.
- Factory running boards have iced over in winter, blocking doors from opening even while the vehicle is parked or moving.
- Fuel tank sensor faults have caused sudden loss of power and a message preventing gear shifting while driving downhill.
- Control arm, ball joint, and axle driveshaft parts have detached or worn out, causing pulling and loud noises while driving.
2020 Buick Enclave recalls
6 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 21V115000Feb 25, 2021Suspension, Wheels & Tires33,838 vehicles
Tires
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket for various model year 2018-2021 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
Risk: Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall resulting in sudden air loss or a belt edge separation which could lead to a tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212329050.
- NHTSA 20V684000Nov 5, 2020Suspension, Wheels & Tires7,516 vehicles
Tires
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse vehicles and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The vehicles may have been manufactured with Continental tires that were overcured.
Risk: Overcured tires may experience a carcass break in the sidewall resulting in a sudden air loss or could develop a belt edge separation which could lead to partial or full tread/belt loss. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect vehicles and replace tires that have DOT number and production mold number combinations identified by Continental, free of charge. The recall began December 17, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202319030.
- NHTSA 20V668000Oct 29, 2020Transmission & Powertrain194,105 vehicles
Power train:automatic transmission
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Risk: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
2020 Buick Enclave fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 17.5 MPG
- Highway
- 25.5 MPG
- Combined
- 20.5 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,175
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2020 compared with other Enclave years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2020 Buick Enclave reliable based on complaints?
- NHTSA lists a complaint index of 41 for the 2020 Enclave, ranking 11th out of 18 model years, and it carries a Good verdict relative to other Enclave years.
- What are the most common problems with the 2020 Buick Enclave?
- Engine complaints lead at 32% of all complaints, followed by Electrical System at 17%, Transmission & Powertrain at 15%, and Fuel System at 14%, according to NHTSA data.
- Does the 2020 Buick Enclave have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2020 Enclave covering suspension/tires, transmission, fuel system, airbags, and structure/body, with none classified as do-not-drive.
- What is the median mileage for reported failures on the 2020 Enclave?
- Across all complaints, NHTSA data shows a median mileage at failure of 5,550 miles, though Engine complaints show a higher median of 26,590 miles.
- How does the 2020 Enclave compare to other years?
- With a complaint index of 12, 2021 ranks lower than 2020's 41, and years like 2008 through 2014 score far worse, with 2008 topping the list at a complaint index of 100.